Novel that has been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024

A gripping narrative of survival and recovery from internationally acclaimed author and Booker Prize winner, Salman Rushdie.

“A masterpiece... Exceptional” - Daily Telegraph

“A story of hatred overcome by love” - Guardian

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was sitting on stage in New York, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of protecting authors from danger when a man dressed in black - black clothes, black mask - rushed at him holding a knife. His first thought: “So it's you. Here you are.” What followed was a horrific act of violence that shocked the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, Rushdie recounts the traumatic events of that day and his subsequent journey to healing. It is an intimate reflection on life, loss, love, art - and the search for the strength to stand tall again.

Book of the year for: The Times, Guardian, Observer, Daily Telegraph, Spectator, Independent, Evening Standard, New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time

“A brilliant book about love and the agony of survival” - The Times

“Salman Rushdie is a total genius… A brave book from a brave man” - Evening Standard

“Compelling… Reminds us of the things worth fighting for” - New York Times

No.1 Best seller Sunday Times, April 2024

Pages: 224, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm